Felon seeks public's help to run for N.C. House

A Kings Mountain man who’s a convicted felon and was recently arrested on disorderly conduct charges says he’s seeking the community’s support to mount a run for the N.C. House of Representatives.

Joyce Orlando

A Kings Mountain man who’s a convicted felon and was recently arrested on disorderly conduct charges says he’s seeking the community’s support to mount a run for the N.C. House of Representatives.

Eugene T. Holmes, 76, wants to run as an unaffiliated candidate for the district 111 N.C. House seat currently held by longtime Republican Rep. Tim Moore, according to Cleveland County Board of Elections Director Dayna Causby. To do that, Causby said, Holmes must gather 1,844 registered voters’ signatures to be listed on the ballot.

“He can announce his intent, but is not filed,” Causby said. “The state only acknowledges three parties, Democrats, Republicans and Libertarians. Mr. Holmes is registered as an unaffiliated party.”

Arrest, response

Holmes visited The Star on March 12 to share his intention to run for office, as well as his stance against homosexuality.

That opposition to homosexuality led to his arrest March 9, according to Cleveland County authorities. Holmes was charged with disorderly conduct after he visited the Family Worship Center church in Kings Mountain and started shouting “inflammatory and degrading remarks about homosexuals” and refused to leave the church when asked, according to a magistrate’s order obtained by The Star. He was also charged with trespassing that day, according to the magistrate’s order that lists the Kings Mountain Police Department as the arresting authority.

Holmes delivered a letter, which he called his “rebuttal” of his charges, during his visit to The Star this week. In the letter, he refers to a group called the Promise Keepers, in which he says he is a part and “which teach men to be a man.”

“(I) went to the Church of God (Family Worship Center) in Kings Mountain to request the Pastor Woodward let me talk to the men Sunday school class, for the promise keepers is a man thing,” Holmes writes in the letter. “I talked to Miss Woodward and hand her my business card and asked to speak to Brother Woodward. She started hollering ‘You are not going to talk to anyone here and to get out of the building,’ so I went outside. At that time the pastor and about 15 people was outside hullowing that they were queer and I ask the brother Woodward what about same-sex marriage indicated that there was nothing wrong with two men and two women defiling the holy matrimony of marriage.”

Holmes wrote in his letter that his family is associated with the Church of God in Cleveland, Tenn.

He wrote in the letter that he was only making a citizen’s arrest when he visited the church.

Alleged elections office incident

Another incident this week involved Holmes visiting the Cleveland County Board of Elections office.

According to Causby, Holmes visited the board of elections to deposit campaign finance forms. The forms were incomplete, Causby said, and she told him the forms would need to be signed by his campaign treasurer.

Causby said Holmes asked her to complete the forms, and she told him she is not allowed to help a political candidate complete campaign functions.

Causby said Holmes started yelling and threatening her before leaving the elections office. The Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office and Shelby Police Department were notified of the incident, and Causby said she was told to refrain from interaction with Holmes.

Wayne King, chairman of the county board of elections, said law enforcement interaction was sought to ensure the safety of elections office employees.

Felony history, nickname

The recent incidents are not Holmes’ first brush with authorities, according to the N.C. Department of Correction. Holmes was previously tried and convicted of felony larceny and spent five years in prison, according to the corrections department website.

Causby said she has received several phone calls from county residents about Holmes.

“Citizens are concerned about his demeanor and approach,” Causby said.

Causby said that, as of Friday, Holmes has 40 names on his petition for public office, including 38 with the required signatures and 27 that meet the requirement that they come from a registered voter.

Holmes’ petition requests his name appear on the ballot as Eugene “Sherlock” Holmes, according to the elections office.

Causby said Holmes could be allowed to run under the nickname as long as he’s been known by the nickname for the past five years.

“He must swear an affidavit that it is his nickname,” Causby said. “If he hasn’t been known by that name and someone calls him out on it, he could get in trouble with the state.”

Reach Joyce Orlando at 704-669-3341 or jorlando@shelbystar.com.

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